Category Archives: people

Meet the Maker: Geza Burghardt

2000
AL#61 p.4   BRB6 p.2            
Cyndy Burton   Geza Burghardt                                                                                       

▪ Burghardt and his family emigrated to Canada from Hungary in 1988 with few worldly goods and little English and proceeded to carve out a niche in a fashion we have grown accustomed to hearing about in these pages. He seems to prefer classical guitars and hand tools. Included is an 8-picture description of the jig he uses to slot the sides into the necks of his guitars, and 7 other photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: David Rivinus

2000
AL#61 p.20   BRB6 p.12            
Jonathon Peterson   David Rivinus                                                                                       

▪ This luthier has redesigned the viola into a beast he calls the Pellegrina. Its ergonomic design can potentially extend the working life of violists while supplying the tone they need for the most exacting jobs. The price, however, is a way-cool new look for the instrument. Way-cool for some, at least. With 12 photos and 3 drawings of different viola bridges.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Fabio Ragghianti

2000
AL#61 p.40   BRB6 p.28            
Harry Fleishman   Fabio Ragghianti                                                                                       

▪ Ragghianti is an Italian luthier. It’s interesting that luthiers from around the world seem to think of their instruments in the same terms. This easily allows them to immediately find a common ground regardless of their cultural background or language. Ragghianti came to America, then Fleishman went to Italy. The terrain didn’t seem to make a lot of difference. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Bob Gernandt

1999
AL#60 p.28   BRB5 p.420            
John Calkin   Bob Gernandt                                                                                       

▪ This North Carolina luthier likes to use native timber in the wide variety of instruments he builds. His particular interest is the Irish bouzouki and cittern.

Meet the Maker: Steve Kauffman

1999
AL#59 p.18   BRB5 p.386            
David Melly   Steve Kauffman                                                                                       

▪ Kauffman had been a luthier for sometime before he apprenticed to Steve Klein. Today he builds Klein acoustics in his own shop as well as his personal line of guitars. He’s a thoughtful and thought-provoking man, and you’ll be glad you met him. With 6 photos.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 2

1999
AL#59 p.22   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ George Majkowski and Boaz Elkayam complete their work on 10 Kasha guitars to honor the memory of Richard Schneider and to keep his work alive. The hand tools involved, the strange method of fretting, and the cool vacuum clamps, as well as the design philosophy behind the guitars, make this a pair of articles not to be missed. The Old World meets the future here and they blend very nicely. With 58 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Grit Laskin

1999
AL#59 p.39   BRB5 p.402            
Gordon Gray   Grit Laskin                                                                                       

▪ Laskin is a well-known maker of masterful guitars and a groundbreaking artist in inlay concept and design. He’s also a novelist and a recording artist. If the 9 photos of his guitars and inlay work don’t inspire you, you’re certainly from an old school of lutherie.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Gene Rhinehart: Northwest Resophonic Connection

1999
AL#59 p.50   BRB5 p.392            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Rhinehart has built Dobro-style guitars for years, and was among the first to furnish custom resonator cones to the industry. Includes a new plan format, a one-page diagram of a square neck guitar with a chart of dimensions. Different methods of seating the cone are discussed, and 8 photos show some of the details of Rhinehart’s work.

Review: Acquired of the Angels by Paul William Schmidt

1999
AL#59 p.62   BRB5 p.482            read this article
Linda Manzer                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds this book about the life and work of John D’Angelico and James D’Aquisto “is a wonderful and carefully prepared book,” though perhaps not free of errors.

Meet the Maker: Bonnie Carol

1999
AL#58 p.16   BRB5 p.358            
John Calkin   Bonnie Carol                                                                                       

▪ Bonnie Carol has been a mainstay on the dulcimer scene for three decades. She is alive and well in Colorado, still building and performing. With 9 photos of her shop, instruments, and construction process. Mentions Max Krimmel.

Kasha Collaboration, Part 1

1999
AL#58 p.20   BRB5 p.332            
Jonathon Peterson   George Majkowski   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                   

▪ Boaz Elkayam and George Majkowski extend the work of Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider in a project that entails the construction of 10 guitars. A wide variety of building techniques involving hand and power tools, as well as vacuum clamping, is necessary to make these complicated instruments. An unlikely pairing of craftsmen contributes to our understanding of one of the most controversial instrument designers of our times, and the memory of a respected luthier and teacher. With 26 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Gary Southwell

1999
AL#58 p.38   BRB5 p.366            
Cyndy Burton   Gary Southwell                                                                                       

▪ Southwell makes gut-strung guitars that may be strange or more-or-less conventional, but always elegant, and he makes them for some high-profile patrons. His specialty is pre-classical or “salon” guitars. He’s an eloquent Englishman whom you’ll be happy to meet. With 6 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Review: Julian Bream, the Foundations of a Musical Career by Stuart W. Button

1999
AL#58 p.57   BRB5 p.481            
Cyndy Burton                                                                                           

▪ Bream began when the classical guitar world was small, indeed. The reviewer finds this collection of letters about Bream’s early years to be small, expensive, and enjoyable.

Meet the Maker: Joshia de Jonge

1999
AL#57 p.22   BRB5 p.300            
Cyndy Burton   Joshia de-Jonge                                                                                       

▪ Joshia’s classical won high praise during the listening session at the GAL’s 1998 convention, quite an achievement for a 19-year-old woman. But then, just about every member of her family builds guitars. Her free-spirited optimism may be as much a product of her upbringing as her youth. With 3 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Steve Kinnaird

1999
AL#57 p.53   BRB5 p.327            
John Calkin   Steve Kinnaird                                                                                       

▪ Kinnaird is a minister, luthier, blues guitarist, and all-around nice guy. You’ll be glad you met him. With 4 photos.

Meet the Maker: Linda Manzer

1998
AL#56 p.16   BRB5 p.256            
Cyndy Burton   Linda Manzer                                                                                       

▪ Through her artistic merit, dogged determination, and sheer grit, Manzer has risen to the top ranks of her profession. This interview covers her background and training, work ethic, favorite woods, and other lutherie intimacies. With 10 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Shaping the Sound: A Personal Approach to Building Classical Guitars

1998
AL#56 p.22   BRB5 p.230            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ In every craft the cream inevitably rises, and Elliott is known to make some of the creamiest classical guitars in the world. Though this article offers a complete recipe for building guitars with “allure,” it becomes obvious that the most important ingredient is the artistic sensitivity he has developed. Not to be overlooked if your goal is to cook up fine classicals. With 9 photos, 1 drawing, and a list for further reading.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: David “Kawika” Hurd

1998
AL#56 p.44   BRB5 p.285            
John Calkin   David Hurd                                                                                       

▪ David Hurd’s classical guitar drew accolades at the ’98 convention’s listening session, but he’s better known for his ukes and his info-jammed ukulele website. He’s also had the opportunity to build instruments from species of Hawaiian wood that most of us have never even heard of. Life is different in Hawaii. Still. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Paul Jacobson

1998
AL#55 p.48   BRB5 p.243            
Cyndy Burton   Paul Jacobson                                                                                       

▪ Jacobson is a widely respected builder of classical guitars who considers lutherie to be the equivalent of writing sonnets. They are both exercises in controlled creativity. And both can be beautiful.

In Memoriam: Irving Sloane

1998
AL#55 p.3   BRB5 p.213            read this article
Roger Sadowsky                                                                                           

▪ Sadowsky remembers Irving Sloane as a Renaissance man, and surely just the work he did in the lutherie field would qualify him for that. He designed and produced tuning machines, a slew of hand tools, and three instruction books that no doubt continue to be the worthy introduction many of us have to the world of lutherie. He was also Sadowsky’s father-in-law. This small remembrance is as nice as any man has had.

Sabicas’ 1951 Marcelo Barbero

1998
AL#55 p.8   BRB5 p.217            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ The story of this astonishing flamenco guitar involves Barbero, Sabicas, Carlos Montoya, and Elektra records. It dropped from sight until showing up at Brune’s for repair. Brune drew up a complete set of plans while the guitar was in his possession. They are printed here, and are also available as a full-size GAL Plan #42. With 12 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

GAL Instrument Plan #42: 1951 Marcelo Barbero Flamenco Guitar

1998
AL#55 p.10   BRB5 p.219            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ A full-scale instrument plan. See the GAL website for a low-rez preview.

Meet the Maker: Paul McGill

1998
AL#55 p.16   BRB5 p.214            
Mark Bass   Paul McGill                                                                                       

▪ McGill is a thinking-man’s guitar maker with some strong notions that run counter to current lutherie mythology. He also has a big-time clientele who believe he is right. With 6 photos.

Meet the Maker: David Gusset

1998
AL#55 p.32   BRB5 p.224            
Jonathon Peterson   David Gusset                                                                                       

▪ Gusset’s early work made him intimately familiar with many fine old Italian violins, and he has used their influence to make his mark in world violin making competitions. With one drawing and 9 photos, including wonderful violin close-ups.

French Polishing with Eugene Clark

1998
AL#54 p.6   BRB5 p.182            
Cyndy Burton   Eugene Clark                                                                                       

▪ Jeez, there’s a lot to know about French polishing. Changing lubricating oils can change the quality of the job, but there are reasons to change oils. The pad you rub with makes a difference. The longevity and toughness of the finish can be controlled by the materials you use. This work is deeper than meets the eye. Burton attended a class taught by Clark, and she brings home the straight skinny for American Lutherie. With 15 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

1997 Tokyo Musical Merchandise Trade Show

1998
AL#54 p.16               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Until the Asian market crisis many American luthiers thought that dealing their instruments in Japan would provide the best of living opportunities. Much of Somogyi’s production goes to Japan, and in 1997 he visited Japan at the invitation of his distributor to visit dealers and attend the “NAMM show” of the Orient. Here’s what business and lutherie in Japan is really like. With 10 photos.

Meet the Maker: Judy Threet

1998
AL#54 p.21   BRB5 p.204            
Cyndy Burton   Judy Threet                                                                                       

▪ Threet is a Canadian builder who specializes in fingerstyle guitars. Her guitars often display an artistic flair that few can match. This interview takes a decidedly philosophic turn, and appropriately so, since Threet used to be a professor of philosophy. With 4 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Joseph Curtin

1998
AL#54 p.34   BRB5 p.194            
Tim Olsen   Joseph Curtin                                                                                       

▪ The personal history of violin people is often the most interesting because so many of them realize that a formal approach to learning their craft is often the fastest way of being recognized in the business, even though they may invest many years in the process. And they frequently find themselves in exotic places as they learn. It must work, too. How many of us need an assistant and a business manager to help hold down the fort, as Curtin does? With 6 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

After the Fox: How Charles Changed my Lutherie Life

1998
AL#54 p.38   BRB5 p.127            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his time spent at Fox’s American School of Lutherie, Calkin revamps his whole building procedure. Dished workboards turn out to be easy and cheap to make. Mando, uke, and dulcimer sides are bent with an electric silicone blanket. Molds are revamped. Speed and precision are in, drudgery is out (well, almost). Parts 1 and 2 were in American Lutherie #52 and #53, respectively. With 25 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

D’Aquisto’s Design Development

1998
AL#53 p.8   BRB5 p.168            
Paul Gudelsky                                                                                           

▪ An overview of D’Aquisto’s career by a man who studied guitar construction with Jimmy and collected a number of his instruments. It becomes clear how complex an individual D’Aquisto really was. Lots of generalized talk about wood and archtop design, too, but nothing scientific. More of a tribute to a man who died way too soon. With 5 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Remembering Jimmy

1998
AL#53 p.9   BRB5 p.172            
Paul Schmidt                                                                                           

▪ D’Aquisto’s biographer bids farewell to the man who was called by some the world’s greatest luthier of our time. A touching and very real-world story. With 2 photos.

Meet the Maker: Shelley Park

1998
AL#53 p.22   BRB5 p.164            
Cyndy Burton   Shelley Park                                                                                       

▪ Park plays jazz guitar and builds Selmer-style guitars like those designed by Mario Maccaferri and played by Django Reinhardt. She furnishes some interesting thoughts about alternative woods and different finishes. Are women luthiers who survive long enough to become professionals really more interesting than many of the men, or do they just give better interviews? You decide. With 9 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

A Tale of Two Schools

1998
AL#53 p.26               read this article
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson attended Charles Fox’s original guitar making school in 1975, and nearly a generation later reunited with Fox at his new facility, the American School of Lutherie. Basic to Fred’s story is the manner in which the times, two people, and guitar making have changed in 20-odd years. The times, indeed, are a’changin’.

Meet the Maker: George Fortune, Jr.

1998
AL#53 p.44   BRB5 p.178            
John Calkin   George Fortune-Jr.   Stan Olah                                                                                   

▪ Fortune is a self-taught fiddle maker and instrument repairman in rural Virginia. To many of his neighbors he is known simply as the Fiddle Man. Perhaps Americans aren’t losing their independent spirit, but often it feels like it. Calkin pays tribute to a man who seems to represent a whole way of life. With 7 photos.

Meet the Maker: Charles Fox

1997
AL#52 p.10               
Fred Carlson   Charles Fox                                                                                       

▪ Fox has made an impact on the guitar community as an influential teacher and a designer of tools. Carlson attended Fox schools in the ’70s and ’90s, and in this interview he asks Fox to contrast his schools and predict the future of lutherie in America.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Crazy Like Charles Fox: Guitar Making Jigs for the 21st Century, Part 1

1997
AL#52 p.12   BRB5 p.108            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ The main thrust of Fox’s American School of Lutherie lies in teaching lone guitarmakers to make better instruments through more accurate tooling and in helping them become more commercially viable by increasing their production. Calkin attended one of Charles’ week-long Contemporary Guitar Making seminars and documented much of the hard info for American Lutherie readers. This segment concentrates on nearly 3 dozen jigs and fixtures that anyone can add to their lutherie arsenal, most of them adapted to power tools. With 57 photos. Parts 2 & 3 to follow.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Scroll Carving

1997
AL#52 p.28   BRB5 p.152            
Guy Rabut                                                                                           

▪ To non-fiddle people all violins look about the same. To the initiated, however, they are vastly different. Besides offering a thorough description of his scroll carving techniques, Rabut gives us a glimpse into the world of the violin in-crowd where an appreciation for subtlety is the stock-in-trade. Guy is a high-profile maker who has had the opportunity to examine many world-class violins. With 52 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: R.E. Brune

1997
AL#52 p.42   BRB5 p.144            
Tim Olsen   R.E. Brune                                                                                       

▪ Brune was an original founder of the Guild, has been a GAL convention lecturer, and an American Lutherie author. He’s also a world-renowned maker, dealer, and collector of classical guitars. In this interview he offers some personal background as well as what he thinks it will take to stay afloat in the lutherie world that’s coming. His insider’s view of high-buck instrument dealing is especially compelling. With 7 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

The Restoration of Agustin Barrios’ Francisco Simplicio

1997
AL#52 p.46   BRB5 p.148            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ What does it take to restore an important instrument? Skill, research, and a solid feel and appreciation for the time during which the piece was made and played. Skip any of these factors and you could easily screw up an irreplaceable piece. Brune describes his approach to one guitar while at the same time demonstrating the qualities necessary to enter this field.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Augustino LoPrinzi

1997
AL#52 p.50   BRB5 p.138            
Jonathon Peterson   Augustino LoPrinzi                                                                                       

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has made or overseen the construction of over 8000 guitars. He went from a one-man shop in the back of his barbershop to a factory that employed 30 people and made 80 flattops a month. Now back in a small-shop setting, his enthusiasm for the guitar is as high as ever. Come along for one of the wilder rides in the annals of lutherie.

Hangin’ with Augie

1997
AL#52 p.53   BRB5 p.141            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Augie LoPrinzi has been an accessible luthier who taught or influenced dozens of people as they entered the business. Calkin “knew him when,” back in the ’70s at a time his small shop churned out 25 guitars a month. This is a different look at a man who was also a barber, pool hustler, amateur magician, wannabe classical guitarist, and a storyteller deluxe. Fun.

Meet the Maker: Hermann Hauser III

1997
AL#51 p.20   BRB5 p.80            
Armin Kelly   Hermann Hauser-III                                                                                       

▪ The name Hermann Hauser needs no introduction in the classical guitar world. Here Hauser #3 talks about heritage, learning the craft, wood, and closing in on the perfect guitar. With 6 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Boaz Elkayam

1997
AL#51 p.26   BRB5 p.92            
Jonathon Peterson   Boaz Elkayam                                                                                       

▪ Elkayam grew up as a luthier, built guitars as he traveled half the world on a motorcycle, never stopped learning, and seems never to have met a challenge he didn’t welcome. High-class lutherie skills don’t necessarily make a person interesting. If Boaz quit the trade today he’d still be someone you’d like to seek out. Check out his classical guitar with two fingerboards (but only one neck). With 24 photos of beautiful instruments, beautiful places, and beautiful women.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Of Sympitars and Suzalynes

1997
AL#51 p.38   BRB5 p.100            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Inspired by his fiddle-building partner, Suzy Norris, Carlson has created a guitar that utilizes a large number of sympathetic strings. The obstacles that had to be overcome were significant, but “angel voices” never come easy to us Earth folks. With 10 photos and a pair of drawings of how things work.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Makers: Jeffrey Huss and Mark Dalton

1997
AL#51 p.42   BRB5 p.104            
John Calkin   Jeff Huss   Mark Dalton                                                                                   

▪ Virginia luthiers Huss and Dalton show off their shop and talk about the business of going into business. They make 7 high-end acoustics per month, and they make it sound easy. With 11 photos.

Meet the Maker: Arul Dominic Xavier

1997
AL#50 p.14   BRB5 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson   Arul-Dominic Xavier                                                                                       

▪ Xavier traveled all the way from India to attend the Healdsburg Guitarmakers Festival. This interview makes it obvious to what lengths some folks have to go to become luthiers. Think you’re on a budget? In India a GAL membership costs about one third of a month’s wages. With 6 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Hornick

1997
AL#50 p.40   BRB5 p.68            
Tim Olsen   Michael Hornick                                                                                       

▪ Hornick has become renown as the creator of Shanti guitars. In this interview he discusses the road to the top of the lutherie profession as well as tonewood and guitar design. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Kent Everett

1997
AL#50 p.50   BRB5 p.38            
John Calkin   Kent Everett                                                                                       

▪ Everett is one of those monster craftsmen who can knock out 50 fine instruments a year, alone. This interview not only covers his lutherie background but also explains the shop schedule that keeps the guitar flowing at such a prodigious rate. Featuring five photos and one of Everett’s comic strips.

Meet the Maker: Rene Baarslag

1997
AL#49 p.6   BRB5 p.2            
Woodley White   Rene Baarslag                                                                                       

▪ A Dutchman who moved to Spain and learned guitar making with the help of Antonio Marin, Baarslag has carved out a reputation as a fine luthier. The descriptions of his home will make you wonder why luthiers can’t live this well in America. Baarslag’s life must be very pleasant.

Meet the Maker: Fred Carlson

1997
AL#49 p.28   BRB5 p.18            
Tim Olsen   Fred Carlson                                                                                       

▪ Carlson grew up on a New England commune and never outgrew the philosophy of sharing. He would rather let his uniqueness bloom than give in to commercial considerations. You’ll be glad you met him here. With 16 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Wood Identification for Luthiers

1997
AL#49 p.44   BRB5 p.30            
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Robison describes wood identification as an adventure. You’ll need some reference books and a microscope, and a computer wouldn’t hurt. Ever see an instrument trimmed in smokewood? How do you know, Sherlock? Without a little scientific trickery your guess could be wrong either way. Get with the program. With 6 photomicrographs of softwoods.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Resetting a Neck with Jeff Traugot

1997
AL#49 p.50   BRB5 p.44            
Colin Kaminski   Jeff Traugott                                                                                       

▪ Neck resetting techniques have changed enormously in the last few years, and they continue to evolve. Traugot has been in the forefront of the evolution. Here’s his up-to-the-minute description of the procedure. With 12 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Review: A Bow Making Course taught by Joseph Regh

1997
AL#49 p.62   BRB5 p.470            
Colin Kaminski                                                                                           

▪ This course, which saves years of learning on your own, is based on jigs and fixtures, and too brief for those who prefer to work by hand. Joseph is very forthcoming with his methods, ideas, and tricks.

Meet the Maker: Bishop Cochran

1996
AL#48 p.14   BRB4 p.386            
Jonathon Peterson   Bishop Cochran                                                                                       

▪ Cochran is a player/maker of electric and acoustic/electric guitars who uses machine shop equipment and supplies to create his instruments. The emphasis is on precision work, duplicable procedures, and practical designs. With 26 photos.

Meet the Maker: John Mello

1996
AL#48 p.28   BRB4 p.408            
Cyndy Burton   John Mello                                                                                       

▪ Mello is a repairperson, guitarmaker, restorer, and instrument dealer. He apprenticed under Richard Schneider and worked with Jeffrey R. Elliott before opening his own shop.Much of the interview dwells upon the restoration of an 1862 Torres guitar. With 11 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Nineteen Stew-Mac How-to Videos 2

1996
AL#48 p.46   BRB4 p.474            
John Calkin                                                                                           

▪ Reviewed here are six videos, one about violins setups, one about French polishing, and four about guitar repair. All are found worthy, though two of the repair tapes are for the inexperienced luthier.

Meet the Maker: Geoff Stelling

1996
AL#47 p.30   BRB4 p.346            
John Calkin   Geoff Stelling                                                                                       

▪ A profile of one of the leaders in high-end banjos, featuring a tour of the shop, production techniques, construction methods, and banjo/motorcycle cross-pollination.

Meet the Maker: Marc Silber

1996
AL#47 p.46   BRB4 p.364            
Colin Kaminski   Marc Silber                                                                                       

▪ Silber is a musician, nomad, repairman, musical historian, guitar designer, dealer, collector, and all around keeper of the flame. How can a man have so much fun and make a living at the same time?

Meet the Merchant: Todd Taggart

1996
AL#46 p.38   BRB4 p.312            
Cyndy Burton   Todd Taggart                                                                                       

▪ The driving force behind Luthiers Mercantile International talks about building a business, supplying an industry, and helping to make a guitar town out of Healdsburg, California.

Meet the Makers: Two Gentlemen From Auckland

1996
AL#46 p.47   BRB4 p.330            
Carl Kaufmann   Laurie Williams   Nicholas Emery                                                                                   

▪ New Zealanders Laurie Williams and Nicholas Emery build innovative instruments for the homelanders, though export may be in their futures. They have access to wood varieties that most of us have never even heard of.

Meet the Maker: Don Overstreet

1996
AL#45 p.36   BRB4 p.290            
Jonathon Peterson   Don Overstreet                                                                                       

▪ Overstreet took formal training in violin construction with Peter Prier in Salt Lake City, then ended up in the shop of Paul Schuback where he builds and repairs the instruments of the fiddle family. It seems that all who trod the same path make a unique journey (a strong theme in the GAL).

Manuel Velazquez: A Man Who Loves the Guitar

1995
AL#44 p.8   BRB4 p.222            
Robert Desmond                                                                                           

▪ This is a short biography of a luthier who entered the trade before many of us were born, and who has turned classical guitar making into a family business.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Michael Gurian

1995
AL#44 p.17   BRB4 p.236            
David Hill   Michael Gurian                                                                                       

▪ Gurian knows much more than he tells in this interview, but it’s good to know he’s still actively part of the guitar scene. He has worked alone, started an informal school of guitarmaking through the apprentices he has trained, owned guitar factories, invented tools, and is currently a supplier of parts and accessories.

Meet the Maker: Saul Koll

1995
AL#44 p.32   BRB4 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Saul Koll                                                                                       

▪ Koll has fashioned a living by creating unique, often bizarre, guitars, both acoustic and electric. For many, ideas often come easy, it’s selling them that’s hard. Koll has found a niche. With 23 photos.

Meet the Maker: Jim Williams

1995
AL#43 p.8   BRB4 p.202            
Todd Brotherton   Jim Williams                                                                                       

▪ Australians continue to make a mark in the evolution of the guitar. Williams made his mark as an author, as well. He discusses his background and his instruments.

Lattice Bracing Guitar Tops

1995
AL#43 p.11   BRB4 p.206            
Jim Williams                                                                                           

▪ Williams discusses the building style he has borrowed from Greg Smallman for classical guitars. With 14 photos, plus drawings.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Jess Wells

1995
AL#43 p.24   BRB4 p.212            
Jonathon Peterson   Jess Wells                                                                                       

▪ Wells specializes in the creation of early stringed instruments. Here he discusses that particular market, his training, and the history of the viola da gamba. With 17 photos.

Meet the Makers: Klaus and Peppe Reischel

1995
AL#42 p.42   BRB4 p.188            
David Riggs   Klaus Reischel   Peppe Reischel                                                                                   

▪ The Reischels make Landstrofer tuners, high-quality German gears for classical guitars.

Meet the Maker: Des Anthony

1995
AL#42 p.48   BRB4 p.194            
Cyndy Burton   Des Anthony                                                                                       

▪ An Australian guitarmaker talks about Australian wood, his instruments, and the Australian vacation system.

The Guitar Family, Continued

1995
AL#41 p.10   BRB4 p.126            
Graham Caldersmith                                                                                           

▪ Caldersmith is working to expand the voice range of guitar ensembles, both classical and steel string. With 4 photos and frequency response graphs. The first installment of Caldersmith’s work with a classical guitar family came way back in AL#18.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Debbie Suran

1995
AL#41 p.26   BRB4 p.134            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Debbie Suran                                                                                       

▪ Suran is a performer/builder of hammered dulcimers.

Meet the Maker: Lara Espley

1995
AL#41 p.38   BRB4 p.152            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Lara Espley                                                                                       

▪ Espley is a Canadian maker of wonderfully distinctive instruments. Here she talks about her favorite woods (purpleheart, koa), her training, and the gender gap.

Felix Manzanero and his Collection of Antique Guitars

1995
AL#41 p.40   BRB4 p.144            
Ronald-Louis Fernandez                                                                                           

▪ It’s untrue that all the old builders were stodgy old putzes locked into a cold tradition. Some of their guitars were pretty far out. With 21 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own

1994
AL#40 p.28   BRB4 p.102            
Dan Erlewine   Tom Ribbecke   Fred Campbell   David Howard   Sheldon Dingwall   Harry Fleishman   David Colburn   Kathy Currier   Will Bremers   Jack Langley   John Jordan   Dana Bourgeois   Heidi Spurlin   Ken Fallon   Dave Schneider   Cary Clemments   Ron Chacey   Bart Reiter   Mike Jarvis   Greg Hoffman   Dave Lindahl   Tom Costanza   Chuck Erickson   Ralph Novak

▪ Repair pricing workshop from 1992 GAL convention.

Meet the Maker: Jim Roden

1994
AL#40 p.38   BRB4 p.114            
Jonathon Peterson   Jim Roden                                                                                       

▪ Roden is a dulcimer maker and a forester, so he understands that we need to preserve forests and we need to cut them, too. He freely addresses both sides of the coin.

Doc and Leo and Me

1994
AL#40 p.8   BRB4 p.90            
Curt Carpenter                                                                                           

▪ Carpenter tells of his VA-sponsored apprenticeship to a legend of the electric guitar industry. A fine string of anecdotes. Carpenter actually moved in with Doc Kauffman and his wife, relived all the old stories, learned to build guitars, visited with Leo Fender, met Rudy Dopera, and made pickups. Carpenter left the army to enter the Guitar Wars.

Catguts and Glitter and Horsehair on Bowsticks

1994
AL#40 p.14   BRB4 p.86            
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Impressions of lectures given on the first day of the GAL 1992 convention in Vermillion South Dakota, held in conjunction with the Catgut Acoustical Society.

Segovia’s 1912 Manuel Ramirez

1994
AL#40 p.18   BRB4 p.96            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ There is an undying interest in the Segovia guitars. Brune offers good description as well as 10 photos and a complete set of plans. The plans are a reduced version of our full-scale Plan # 38.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Two Travel Guitars and Their Makers

1994
AL#40 p.24   BRB4 p.124            
Jonathon Peterson   Rossco Wright   Larry Roberts                                                                                   

▪ Classical guitarists are too fussy to simply travel with a shrunken guitar. These two luthiers offer instruments that suit the special needs of special guitarists.

Meet the Maker: Eric Meyer

1994
AL#39 p.18   BRB4 p.65            
Jonathon Peterson   Eric Myer                                                                                       

▪ Meyer’s current gig is the manufacture of violin fittings. He describes his peg making process in detail.

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser: Top and Back Thicknesses

1994
AL#38 p.24   BRB4 p.34            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune made a map of plate dimensions using a new (and expensive) gizzy called the Elcometer. Then he decides that plate thickness probably isn’t so big a deal. Well, at least you have a model to guide you.

Meet the Makers: Nick Kukich and Jeanne Munro

1994
AL#38 p.30   BRB4 p.36            
Jonathon Peterson   Nick Kukich   Jeanne Munro                                                                                   

▪ The folks from Franklin Guitars are outspoken and articulate. Are steel string makers really the “bottom feeders” of the guitar world? Kukich was there at the rebirth of the OM guitar.

Meet the Maker: John Koster

1994
AL#37 p.22   BRB4 p.17            
Nicholas-Von Robison   John Koster                                                                                       

▪ How does a man become conservator to a famous collection of stringed instruments, and just exactly what does he do after he’s there? Koster maintains the collection at the Shrine to Music Museum.

Floyd

1994
AL#37 p.42               read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison                                                                                           

▪ Local color and good humor are key ingredients of this peek at an independent-minded violinmaker. Arizona rosewood? Manzinita tuning pegs?

Finishing Techniques for Hiding Repair Work

1993
AL#36 p.6   BRB3 p.380            
Dan Erlewine                                                                                           

▪ Erlewine hides his wooden patches under a field of colored French polish, then paints over it with simulated wood grain, and then might shoot a sunburst around everything. Old European craftsmen would smile in recognition of these tricks, but they are seldom applied to guitars.

Meet the Maker: Ervin Somogyi

1993
AL#36 p.12   BRB3 p.393            
Ervin Somogyi   Colin Kaminski                                                                                       

▪ Many of us suffer periods of lutherie burnout, but few as dramatically as Somogyi, whose house and shop were lost in a great California fire. This interview offers early background information and an update of how he has coped since the fire.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. A Brief Overview

1994
AL#37 p.6   BRB4 p.2            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Nobody built a better archtop than D’Aquisto did. Olsen outlines the procedures and peculiarities of a famous luthier’s work.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

James L. D’Aquisto: Building the Archtop Guitar. The Soundboard

1994
AL#37 p.10   BRB4 p.6            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Olsen travels from the general (in the preceding article) to the specific. He zeros in on D’Aquisto’s soundboard work for a detailed examination. With 47 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

In Memoriam: Mario Maccaferri

1993
AL#35 p.63   BRB3 p.503            read this article
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Mario Maccaferri, creator of guitars made by Selmer of Paris and made famous by Django Reinhardt, major contributor to the field of injection molding plastic, and overall self made man.

Meet the Maker: Tom Ribbecke

1993
AL#35 p.24   BRB3 p.370            
Nicholas-Von Robison   Tom Ribbecke                                                                                       

▪ As an adviser to the trade, a builder of high quality guitars, and teacher, Ribbecke has had a strong influence on the work of many luthiers. This interview sketches his beginnings in lutherie.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

In Memoriam: Arthur Overholtzer

1993
AL#35 p.44   BRB3 p.500            read this article
Bruce McGuire                                                                                           

▪ Overholtzer is cussed and discussed, but he had an undeniable influence on the American classical guitar scene. He built Spanish guitars in a very un-Spanish manner.

Questions about Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1993
AL#34 p.41   BRB3 p.351   ALA3 p.51         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Is the Met’s Segovia Hauser the famous Hauser? Probably, but maybe not. That such mysteries can remain about the most famous classical guitarist ever is quite heartening.

In Memoriam: Hammond Ashley

1993
AL#34 p.61   BRB3 p.499            read this article
David Wilson   Peggy Warren                                                                                       

▪ Remembering Hammond Ashley, aged 91, advocate of fine music and fine musical instrument making.

Letter to the Editor: Lutherie Art

1993
AL#34 p.4               
Ervin Somogyi                                                                                           

▪ Somogyi was burned out of house and shop during the Oakland Hills Firestorm. He describes his plight and how the Crafts Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) helped rescue him. If you need such help, or if you would like to contribute to CERF, Somogyi tells how.

Meet the Maker: Bart Reiter

1993
AL#34 p.14   BRB3 p.324            read this article
Paul Hostetter   Bart Reiter                                                                                       

▪ Reiter is perhaps the best known current maker of open back banjos. He traces his beginnings and some specifics of the banjo market. With 3 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Sanden

1993
AL#34 p.20   BRB3 p.330   ALA6 p.24         
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Sanden                                                                                       

▪ A Swedish guitar maker comes to America for a round of twenty-questions. When non-Americans step out on Lutherie Road the trip isn’t necessarily the one we imagine. Sanden shares a lot of information about his mentor, Georg Bolin.

Meet the Maker: Roberto Gomes

1993
AL#33 p.6   BRB3 p.272            
Cyndy Burton   Roberto Gomes                                                                                       

▪ A Brazilian guitar maker comments upon his situation in Brazil and his first trip to America as a luthier.

Brazilian Guitar Makers

1993
AL#33 p.12   BRB3 p.278            read this article
Roberto Gomes                                                                                           

▪ Gomes offers a list and short description of some current Brazilian builders.

Torres Guitar Restoration

1993
AL#33 p.14   BRB3 p.280            
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune describes a rare 11-string Torres guitar and the manner in which he restored it. With 11 photos and a half-page of drawings. Mentions Romanillos.

Honor Roll

1992
AL#32 p.32               
Staff                                                                                           

▪ This is a salute to the Guild’s most loyal members.

Antonio Raya: Granada’s Rising Star

1992
AL#32 p.46   BRB3 p.265            
Lisa Hurlong                                                                                           

▪ An adopted daughter of Granada describes an up-and-coming Spanish guitar maker. Good local color. Mentions Antonio Marin.

Meet the Maker: Guy Rabut

1992
AL#32 p.52   BRB3 p.268            read this article
Tim Olsen   Guy Rabut                                                                                       

▪ A long-time Guild member makes it as a violinmaker in the Big Apple after a twenty-year run. Mentions Ed Campbell, Peter Prier, Rene Morel.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Byron Will

1992
AL#31 p.58   BRB3 p.222            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Byron Will                                                                                       

▪ Will talks primarily about the business end of being a harpsichord maker.

In Memoriam: Hart Huttig II

1992
AL#31 p.67   BRB3 p.501            read this article
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Remembering Hart Hutting II, an avid aficionado of flamenco and selfless contributor to the GAL since it’s inception.

Meet the Maker: Ren Ferguson

1992
AL#32 p.8   BRB3 p.242            
Jonathon Peterson   Ren Ferguson                                                                                       

▪ The shop honcho of Gibson West relates some personal background. Ferguson moved to Montana long before Gibson did. Did Gibson really build a factory there just for him? Probably not. Mentions Rob Ehlers, Steve Carlson, Henry Juszkiewicz.

An Interview with H.E. Huttig

1992
AL#32 p.16   BRB3 p.250   ALA5 p.10         
R.E. Brune   H.E. Huttig                                                                                       

▪ Huttig began importing guitar parts and European tonewood in the 1950s, and was a hard-core enthusiast of the classical guitar even before that. As a businessman and a friend to musicians and luthiers his life had far-reaching fallout. Mentions Barbero, Bobri, Hauser II, Hernandez, Romanillos, Ramirez, Esteso, and so on.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker (of the Guild): Tim Olsen

1992
AL#32 p.26   BRB3 p.258            
Todd Brotherton   Tim Olsen                                                                                       

▪ Olsen is the leader of the Guild, though he would strongly resist being called the boss. Sometimes it seems that people are led to where they can best serve, regardless of the path they might have chosen for themselves. Tim doesn’t make instruments any more, but through the GAL he shines a light upon all of us who do. This interview is proof that, often, people are even more interesting than you suspect. Mentions Deb Olsen, Bon Henderson, J.R. Beall, Bob Petrulis, Leo Bidne, Harvey Thomas.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Letter to the Editor: Harp Guitar Article AL#29

1992
AL#31 p.7   BRB3 p.203            
Jose Romanillos                                                                                           

▪ Romanillos co-authored the catalog for the Exhibition of Spanish Guitars in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he asks that R. E. Brune elucidate upon his statement that the catalog contained inaccuracies (AL#29).

Segovia’s 1937 Hauser

1992
AL#31 p.8   BRB3 p.212   ALA3 p.44         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune visits with, measures, and draws Segovia’s most famous guitar. The plans offered are a reduced version of GAL full-scale Plan #33. Brune feels that the guitar misses the maestro. With 19 photos.

Travels in French Lutherie

1992
AL#30 p.6   BRB3 p.196   ALA4 p.20         
Paul Hostetter                                                                                           

▪ AL is one of the few available resources that examines the foreign instrument scene in any detail. Hostetter’s chief interest lies in the Selmer Django guitars designed by Maccaferri, but he peeks into every nook that offers a glimpse of strange instruments. Along the way he meets Francois Charle and Maurice Dupont. With 5 photos of Selmers.

Meet the Maker: Maurice Dupont

1992
AL#30 p.10   BRB3 p.200   ALA4 p.24         
Paul Hostetter   Maurice Dupont                                                                                       

▪ Meet a French guitar maker whose specialty is the recreation of Selmer guitars. Dupont even mills his own spruce. He is one of the more accessible foreign luthiers, and his guitars are available in the States. Mentions Maccaferri, Django Reinhardt.

Meet the Maker: Richard Schneider

1992
AL#30 p.40   BRB3 p.206   ALA5 p.18         
Jonathon Peterson   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ Many still have doubts about the merits of the Kasha versions of the classical guitar, but no one questions Schneider’s reputation as a masterful creator of instruments. This interview focuses on his time spent in Mexico learning the trade from Juan Pimentel.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Free Plate Tuning, Part Two: Violins

1992
AL#29 p.42   BRB3 p.136            read this article
Alan Carruth                                                                                           

▪ Carruth tries to keep it light as he describes the glitter dances that should improve your violins, and even sheds light on cello plate tuning. If you feel threatened by the dryness of science just relax and give it a try. Carruth is on your side. Really. With a whole bunch of drawings. Part One was in AL#28. Part Three follows in AL#30. The entire series appears in BRB3.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

The Spanish Guitar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

1992
AL#29 p.6   BRB3 p.194   ALA3 p.2         
R.E. Brune                                                                                           

▪ Brune outlines the first major exhibition of Spanish guitars ever mounted in America. With 8 photos, including one of Santos Hernandez. Also mentions Torres, M. Ramirez, Segovia, Simplicio, Barbero, Romanillos, and others.

Harp Guitar: That Extra-String Thing

1992
AL#29 p.20   BRB3 p.178   ALA6 p.10         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Most people who even knew what one was thought of the harp guitar as a less-than-useless dinosaur. Then came Michael Hedges. Peterson looks back at a strange instrument whose best music might just lie in the future. With 49 photos and a number of good drawings. Mentions Torres, Hauser I, Scherzer, Staufer, Mozzani, Gibson, Knutsen, Martin, and so on.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

The Sawmill at Poussay

1992
AL#29 p.38   BRB3 p.174            
Gayle Miller   Ken Sribnick                                                                                       

▪ Visit a water-powered French sawmill that supplies tonewood to 350 luthiers. With 7 photos. Mentions George Miller.

A Talk with Bob Taylor

1991
AL#28 p.34   BRB3 p.126   ALA4 p.10         
Phillip Lea   Bob Taylor                                                                                       

▪ Few people in Guitarland are as outspoken and clear-headed as Bob Taylor. Others might say he’s just opinionated. He believes a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter if it was whittled by Gepeto or cranked out by a dozen computer-guided milling cutters. This article offers a peek into the Taylor factory and a guided tour through one man’s thoughts about the contemporary guitar. With 28 photos.

Meet the Maker: Michael Darnton

1991
AL#28 p.51   BRB3 p.124            read this article
Jonathon Peterson   Michael Darnton                                                                                       

▪ Peterson gives us the biographical scoop on American Lutherie’s Violin Q&A man.

Meet the Maker: Donald Warnock

1991
AL#26 p.42   BRB3 p.32            read this article
Cyndy Burton   Donald Warnock                                                                                       

▪ It’s wonderful that this interview is in the same issue as interviews with Larrivee and Warmoth, since they are opposites. The first two are sort of factory moguls, and Warnock is the gentlemanly craftsman/artist. All have forged a successful life on their own terms, and the contrast is delicious.

Let’s Get Busy: an interview with Chris Brandt

1991
AL#26 p.48   BRB3 p.56            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Brandt owns a luthiers co-op, and finds it makes more sense and money than four men running their own separate shops do. He’s got the lowdown on keeping records, using time efficiently, sharing labor, hiring a front man, and turning over work quickly. Lots of business hints and tips for any luthier, regardless of your position.

Meet the Maker: Hideo Kamimoto

1991
AL#27 p.46   BRB3 p.118            
Joseph-R. Johnson   Hideo Kamimoto                                                                                       

▪ The famous repairman/author discusses his book, his history as a luthier, and his expectations for his own future.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

A Day on Lost Mountain

1991
AL#27 p.52   BRB3 p.122   ALA5 p.21         
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Richard Schneider discusses his current work at “the most beautifully situated guitar shop in the world.” The Kasha influence upon the classical guitar keeps evolving in the hands of this masterful builder/teacher.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Herb David

1991
AL#26 p.14   BRB3 p.46            
Dan Erlewine   Herb David                                                                                       

▪ It’s tough to be in business and stay successful. It’s really tough to stay in business and keep having fun, too. Herb David tells how he runs his business, builds a few instruments, stays in shape, has fun. Here’s the last line of his personal prayer: “Deliver me from temptation but keep me in touch.” You gotta love the guy. Mentions Sam Varjebedian and Terry Horvath.

Birth of the Strat-Compatible Parts Industry

1991
AL#26 p.33   BRB3 p.53            
Lynn Ellsworth   Ken Warmoth   Jay Hargreaves                                                                                   

▪ Hargreaves interviews two giants of the Strat compatible parts industry.

Attic Strads, and Why What’s Worth Something Is Worth What It’s Worth

1991
AL#25 p.42   BRB3 p.22            read this article
Michael Darnton                                                                                           

▪ Why are some fiddles worth so much? Which ones might you find that will provide good investments? Which sleepers should you look for if you want a really good inexpensive violin for playing? Darnton doesn’t offer the last word, but his advice is worth heeding. Mentions Stradivari, Guarnari.

Meet the Maker: George Gorodnitski

1991
AL#25 p.44   BRB3 p.26            
Jonathon Peterson   George Gorodnitsky                                                                                       

▪ A Russian luthier moves to L.A. and shows up in Tacoma. He was trained in violins and moved on to electric guitars. This is what it was like, rockin’ in the USSR.

First Impressions of America

1991
AL#25 p.47   BRB3 p.28            read this article
George Gorodnitsky                                                                                           

▪ Gorodnitski fled Russia for an unknown fate in the USA. This article is only one column long, but it’s pretty striking. You may never think the same way about the Rose Parade again.

Seth Summerfield, Luthier

1991
AL#25 p.48   BRB3 p.24            
Bill Colgan   Greg Bernd                                                                                       

▪ Like many of his generation, eighty-year-old Summerfield led a hard life. He didn’t turn to professional instrument making until he reached what many would call old age, but after that he didn’t waste any time. There’s quite a few Seth Summerfields out there, and their story is always a good one.

Julian Bream’s 1973 Romanillos Guitar

1991
AL#25 p.22   BRB3 p.2            
Kevin Aram                                                                                           

▪ Aram offers an anecdotal history of one of the most influential classical guitars of our time. With 26 photos. Mentions Hauser I, Torres.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Meet the Maker: Dan Erlewine

1991
AL#25 p.36   BRB3 p.13            
Tim Olsen   Dan Erlewine                                                                                       

▪ Is there any doubt that Erlewine is the world’s best-known guitar fixer? He’s also a heck of a nice guy. Editor Olsen nailed Erlewine’s feet to the floor long enough to answer a few questions. With 4 neat snapshots. Mentions Herb David, Mike Bloomfield.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Lutherie in Romania

1990
AL#23 p.54   BRB2 p.420            
Gabriel Petric                                                                                           

▪ AL #23 takes its second glimpse at instrument making in a strange land and finds that the concerns of luthiers are the same the world over. With 7 photos.

Meet the Maker: Ivo Pires

1990
AL#24 p.26   BRB2 p.465            
Jonathon Peterson   Ivo Pires                                                                                       

▪ America (and indeed, the world) is so deep with people who have had a meaningful life in some phase of lutherie that we should cease being surprised to discover an unknown person who has already racked up 30 or 40 years of experience. Pires is one of those folks, and his story is charming and illuminating. The cream seems to rise wherever it may be.

Meet the Maker: Hartley Peavey

1990
AL#22 p.34   BRB2 p.402            
George Manno   Hartley Peavey                                                                                       

▪ This is an interview with Hartley Peavey, whose manufacturing empire includes electric guitars, amplifiers, and other electronic gear for musicians. Topics include computerized manufacturing, offshore guitars, artist endorsements, and the Peavey business philosophy.

Meet the Maker: Dana Bourgeois

1990
AL#23 p.8   BRB2 p.386            
Gila Eban   Dana Bourgeois                                                                                       

▪ This interview took place while Bourgeois was designing acoustic guitars for Paul Reed Smith, an enterprise that never came to fruition but which led to Bourgeois starting his own company in Maine. He talks about his early days as a luthier and his association with Eric Shoenberg.

Windows in Time: An Interview with Collector and Harp Guitarist John Doan

1990
AL#23 p.14   BRB2 p.406            
Jonathon Peterson                                                                                           

▪ Doan describes his collection of oddball zithers.

Meet the Maker: George Smith

1990
AL#23 p.20   BRB2 p.398            
Jonathon Peterson   George-A. Smith                                                                                       

▪ Smith is a veteran builder of many instruments who prefers to specialize in guitars and harpsichords.

Meet the Maker: Jose Yacopi

1990
AL#23 p.24   BRB2 p.414            
Roberto Blinder   Jose Yacopi                                                                                       

▪ Blinder interviews an Argentine instrument maker about his career, his guitars, wood, and strings. With 4 photos.

Lutherie — The Hard Way

1990
AL#22 p.18               
John Larsen                                                                                           

▪ Larsen built his first guitar in 1950. His article describes the difficult road folks had to follow before the Information Age engulfed lutherie.

Meet the Maker: Nancy Conescu

1990
AL#22 p.29   BRB2 p.392            
Cyndy Burton   Nancy Conescu                                                                                       

▪ Conescu offers insight into the value of formal lutherie training. After violin making school she worked for years under the watchful eye of master repairmen and builders.

Meet the Maker: Michael Yeats

1990
AL#21 p.12   BRB2 p.354            
Cyndy Burton   Michael Yeats                                                                                       

▪ Training, ethics, money—all luthiers face the same dilemmas, but it’s possible that those who face the field of professional classical musicians are tried a little harder. Yeats offers straight talk about all three issues.

An Interview with Stewart Pollens

1989
AL#20 p.18   BRB2 p.316            
Cyndy Burton   Stewart Pollens                                                                                       

▪ Pollens is Associate Conservator of the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. How does a major museum maintain its instruments? How do they view their responsibilities to their collections? How does one train to do the work? Here it is.

Meet the Maker: Frank “Andy” Johnson

1989
AL#19 p.40   BRB2 p.294            
Jonathon Peterson   Frank-“Andy” Johnson                                                                                       

▪ Johnson is a banjo restorationist and tonewood supplier from Washington State. He specializes in selling spruce to the major piano manufacturers.

Meet the Maker: Ralph Rabin

1989
AL#19 p.44   BRB2 p.300            
Jonathon Peterson   Ralph Rabin                                                                                       

▪ Rabin learned to make violins in Cremona, Italy. His description makes it sound like a wonderful way to learn.

Review: Antonio de Torres, Guitar Maker — His Life and Work by Jose Romanillos

1989
AL#19 p.56   BRB2 p.496            
Jeffrey-R. Elliott   Cyndy Burton                                                                                       

▪ The reviewers find this book to be “a significant resource. . .densely packed with information both useful and interesting.” The evolution of the classical guitar, as described by Romanillos, should be of interest to all contemporary builders.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

An Interview with Darryl Wolfe, F5 Expert

1989
AL#18 p.26   BRB2 p.228            
Ted Davis   Darryl Wolfe                                                                                       

▪ Both of these men love and revere the F-5 mandolin. Wolfe owned four Lloyd Loar mandos up to the time of the interview, studied and photographed 130 old F-5s, and published the F5 Journal. A lengthy interview with 12 photos. One man’s opinion can dispel, and perhaps create, instrument mythology.

Meet the Maker: Wes Brandt

1989
AL#18 p.42   BRB2 p.238            
Jonathon Peterson   Wes Brandt                                                                                       

▪ Peterson offers a short interview with a luthier who makes small-bodied steel string guitars from alternative woods.

Meet the Maker: Frederick C. Lyman, Jr.

1989
AL#18 p.46   BRB2 p.248            
Jonathon Peterson   Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.                                                                                       

▪ Lyman is an inveterate experimenter best known for his string basses, a regular American Lutherie contributor, and an interesting thinker.

An Interview with Les Paul

1989
AL#18 p.48   BRB2 p.280            
George Manno   Les Paul                                                                                       

▪ The long-lived jazzer/inventor/guitar designer talks mostly about his long association with Gibson.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

An Interview with Yuri Aleksik

1989
AL#17 p.38   BRB2 p.183            
James Flynn   Yuri Aleksik                                                                                       

▪ Aleksik is a master prima balalaika player from Kiev. Flynn asks him about instruments in this short interview.

S.I. Nalimov, The Master Balalaika Builder

1989
AL#17 p.22   BRB2 p.184            
A.I. Peresada                                                                                           

▪ Nalimov is to the balalaika as Stradivarius is to the violin. This article is condensed from Peresada’s biography of Namilov. With photos, drawings, and label reproductions.

Meet the Maker: M.A. Kupfer

1989
AL#17 p.28   BRB2 p.178            
James Flynn   M.A. Kupfer                                                                                       

▪ It turns out that life for a Russian instrument maker isn’t far different than for an American luthier. Long hours, difficult conditions, and small financial rewards. The turf may be different, but the job remains the same.

Meet the Maker: Hammond Ashley

1988
AL#15 p.30   BRB2 p.82            
Tim Olsen   Hammond Ashley                                                                                       

▪ This is a “factory tour” of the Ham Ashley shop.They specialize in the larger members of the violin family.

One Man’s Mandolins

1988
AL#16 p.6   BRB2 p.112            
Steve Andersen                                                                                           

▪ A well-known maker of archtop instruments offers an in-depth examination of his building style and his business. With 13 photos.

Gene Rhinehart’s Resophonic Guitar Cones

1988
AL#14 p.14   BRB2 p.55            
Ed Vande-Voorde                                                                                           

▪ Rhinehart’s Dobro cones have developed a wonderful reputation. In this interview he outlines his material choices and production techniques. With 6 photos.

An Interview with Jeffrey R. Elliott

1987
AL#12 p.22   BRB1 p.454   ALA3 p.4         
Joseph Bacon   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ A lengthy interview with the well-known maker of classical guitars covers such subjects as training, wood seasoning and supply, finishes, and boomerangs. Cyndy Burton participates. Mentions Hauser Sr., Michael Kasha, Richard Schneider, Ralph Towner, and Julian Bream. With 4 photos.

Steiny and the Everly Guitar

1987
AL#12 p.26   BRB1 p.460   ALA4 p.4         
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ Enhanced with 6 photos, this is the tale of one luthier’s connection to famous musicians, the Everly Brothers. Have you ever made a guitar with solid gold frets and binding? Robert Steinegger has.

Robert Lundberg: In Tune With the Universe

1987
AL#12 p.30   HLC p.xiii            
Tim Olsen   Robert Lundberg                                                                                       

▪ Did people of a given time and place think and respond differently than we do? Lundberg thinks so. He has learned to think like an ancient luthier by studying their work, and has therefore made a connection to a neglected tradition and society. It shows in his work and his speech, and apparently, in his life.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Indian Import and Export

1987
AL#11 p.22   BRB1 p.428            read this article
Gulab Gidwani                                                                                           

▪ A well-known importer and dealer of tonewoods relates some of the difficulties of doing business with third-world nations, such as getting a sawyer of railroad ties to cut fretboards.

Roy Smeck: Wizard of the Strings

1987
AL#11 p.40   BRB1 p.436            read this article
James Garber   Roy Smeck                                                                                       

▪ This is an interview with the man who may have been the best known instrumentalist of his time, the Chet Atkins of vaudeville, if you will. The conversation is mostly about his instruments.

Harvey Thomas and the Infernal Music Machine

1987
AL#11 p.44   BRB1 p.440            
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ A rollicking, good-time account of a era gone by and a free-spirited maker of outrageous electric guitars who was pretty much unknown outside of his own territory. It’ll make you feel good.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Jack Batts

1987
AL#10 p.36   BRB1 p.390            read this article
Jeff Feltman   Jack Batts                                                                                       

▪ Intelligent questions and no-holds-barred answers make this long interview with a veteran builder seem too short. All violin articles should be this interesting. Forty-nine years dedicated to wood, glue, and varnish have to teach one a great deal. With 8 photos. Mentions Sacconi, Stradivari, Guarneri, and Amati.

High School Dreams

1987
AL#10 p.56   BRB1 p.414            read this article
Dave Schneider                                                                                           

▪ A dream comes true. Schneider relates his growth toward a successful lutherie career. He begins with a high school shop program, travels through various repair and furniture jobs, apprentices as a lute maker, and ends up self-employed.

Developing a New Design

1987
AL#11 p.8   BRB1 p.416            
Steve Klein                                                                                           

▪ Klein’s lecture outlines his aesthetic concerns about the contemporary steel string guitar, and many of the details of his ever-evolving, iconoclastic instruments. With several nice drawings and 2 photos. Mentions Richard Schneider and Michael Kasha.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Marvels Among the Reeds

1987
AL#11 p.10   BRB1 p.419            read this article
Susan Norris                                                                                           

▪ Norris offers no details about her asymmetric 10-string fiddle, but the one good photo adds much to a delightful little article.

Why Make It Square?

1987
AL#11 p.14   BRB1 p.427            
Fred Carlson                                                                                           

▪ Carlson makes a case for less conformity in lutherie. Only 1 photo of one of his dramatic, asymmetrical guitars, but it’s quite inspiring.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Review: The New Yorker Special by Frederick Cohen

1987
AL#9 p.57   BRB1 p.500            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer has high praise for this 28-minute film about famed archtop builder Jimmy D’Aquisto. As well as being a “valentine” to D’Aquisto, this film offers a tasty repast for information-hungry luthiers. (AL#9 p.57).

Memories of Vladimir Bobri

1987
AL#10 p.6   BRB1 p.358            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Bobri was an artist and a patron of the arts, a composer and transcriber of guitar music, president of the New York Guitar Society, and editor of Guitar Review. Huttig’s admiration for the man is obvious in this salute following Bobri’s death by fire.

Remembering Harry LeBovi

1987
AL#10 p.8   BRB1 p.360            read this article
Fred Calland                                                                                           

▪ LeBovit was an aficionado of the violin all his life, a maker of fine violins, and a self-made recording engineer, all of which he did on his own time while working for the US government. Calland recalls a dynamic individual who touched many important lives.

Review: Jose Oribe: The Fine Guitar

1987
AL#9 p.56   BRB1 p.498            
C.F. Casey                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer believes that the book may help an experienced luthier adjust his “attitude” toward his craft and thereby make a better instrument. The beginner may not find it so useful.

Cussed and Discussed

1987
AL#9 p.20   BRB1 p.318            
Don Teeter                                                                                           

▪ How does an Oklahoma farm boy become a luthier? How does that same luthier become a writer and mentor to a generation of guitar repairmen? Teeter’s 1985 convention lecture tells all, then goes on to update his neck resetting procedure and his method of eliminating dead notes on the fretboard.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

An Overview of the Hauser Tradition

1986
AL#8 p.18   BRB1 p.274   ALA3 p.8         
Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                           

▪ This lecture transcription presents a chronological overview of the work of Hermann Hauser Sr. 26 photos and 3 drawings complete the article. A major investigation of some important guitars.

The Paul Schuback Story

1987
AL#9 p.6   BRB1 p.304            read this article
Paul Schuback                                                                                           

▪ In this fascinating lecture from the 1986 GAL convention Schuback speaks of his apprenticeship to a French violin maker in 1962, then goes on to offer details about instrument construction, wood, and a Q&A session.

Ed Arnold, String Tie Kind of Guy

1986
AL#7 p.21   BRB1 p.248            read this article
Nicholas-Von Robison   Ed Arnold                                                                                       

▪ Robison interviews Arnold about harvesting wood in Mexico and dealing it in America.

Premiata Liuteria

1986
AL#7 p.29   BRB1 p.256   ALA6 p.8         
Mario Maccaferri                                                                                           

▪ Maccaferri speaks about his life as a musician, luthier, and inventor. Mentions the Selmer company and Django Reinhardt.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Review: Julian Bream: A Life on the Road

1986
AL#5 p.53   BRB1 p.496            read this article
Gila Eban                                                                                           

▪ The reviewer finds the book to be of interest to the luthier, even though it offers little technical information about guitars.

The Well-Unpublished Luthier

1986
AL#6 p.14   BRB1 p.190            read this article
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano goes to some length telling of the travails and trials of producing the book, Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology.

A Modern Builder Interprets the Archtop

1986
AL#6 p.34   BRB1 p.227            
John Monteleone                                                                                           

▪ Monteleone’s lecture covers personal background, after which a question/answer segment gets to the specifics of archtop design and construction.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

Monteleone: The Artist Behind the “Grand Artist”

1986
AL#6 p.38   BRB1 p.222            
Ted Davis   John Monteleone                                                                                       

▪ This lengthy interview sheds more light on the archtop maker’s background and furnishes information about his mandolins.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Interview with William DelPilar

1986
AL#5 p.10   BRB1 p.150            
Ted Davis   William DelPilar                                                                                       

▪ Davis offers his conversation with a professional luthier who made over 800 classical guitars between 1956 and 1986.

Tarrega Played a Maple Guitar

1985
AL#4 p.20   BRB1 p.114            
David Macias                                                                                           

▪ Macias relates an interesting anecdote about the first maple classical guitar he built, then translates a Pujol description of the Tarrega guitar made by Torres.

In the Ramirez Workshop

1985
AL#4 p.36   BRB1 p.140   ALA5 p.2         
William Tapia                                                                                           

▪ Tapia relates the history of Ramirez guitars and tells of his time there learning to properly repair them.

A Chat with Don Manuel

1985
AL#4 p.11   BRB1 p.99            
William Cumpiano   Manuel Velazquez                                                                                       

▪ Velazquez fields a number of questions about the specifics of building the nylon-strung guitar, including types of glue, choice of wood, construction design, and finishing.

Manuel Velazquez: An Appreciation

1985
AL#4 p.8   BRB1 p.96            
William Cumpiano                                                                                           

▪ Cumpiano shares a pleasant visit with Velazquez in Puerto Rico where the conversation is all about classical guitars, wood, compensation factors, and balancing the tone of the instrument.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Rendezvous with Destiny, a Symposium ’85 talk

1985
AL#3 p.8   BRB1 p.80            
C.F. Martin-IV                                                                                           

▪ Martin, currently head of the Martin Guitar Company, offers some personal history and business advice to luthiers.

A Love Affair with Wood, a Symposium ’85 talk

1985
AL#3 p.11   BRB1 p.84            
C.F. Martin-III                                                                                           

▪ The former head of the Martin Guitar Company reminisces about his life as a guitar maker, offers a short history of the company and certain guitar models, and in the process mentions C. F. Martin Jr., Frank Henry Martin, and Mike Longworth.

Where Are They Now?

1985
AL#2 p.13   BRB1 p.56            read this article
Tim Olsen                                                                                           

▪ An update of the 1980 Lutherie Business panel discussion, featuring George Gruhn, Max Krimmel, Steve Klein, Robert Lundberg, and R.E. Brune.

Mario Maccaferri: Feisty as Ever

1985
AL#2 p.32               
Michael Dresdner                                                                                           

▪ A brief life history of Mario Maccaferri, including his career as a musician, his work with the Selmer Company and the Django Reinhardt guitars, his plastics manufacturing, his association with John Monteleone, and his projects as he nears retirement.

Bob Mattingly, Guitar Maker

1984
GALQ Vol.12#3 p.8   BRB2 p.456            
William Tapia   Bob Mattingly                                                                                       

▪ Mattingly is one of the best classical guitar makers in the U.S., yet what is it that keeps him and other fine luthiers from reaching international acclaim?

Remembering Hermann Hauser II

1983
GALQ Vol.11#3 p.10   BRB2 p.154            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ The author visited Hauser in Germany in 1966. This short biography and remembrance adds a bit of humanity to a man who is usually only thought of in terms of the guitars he left behind when he died. With 2 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.

Confessions of a Burned Out Luthier

1983
GALQ Vol.11#3 p.22               
John Judge                                                                                           

▪ A response to the directions column by Duane Waterman in Vol. 11 #2, concerning the future of lutherie as a profession.

An Interview with H.E. Huttig

1983
GALQ Vol.11#1 p.12   BRB2 p.109            
David Fisher   H.E. Huttig                                                                                       

▪ H.E. Huttig, wood merchant, writer, world traveler, experimenter, practical musicologist, lover of life, guitar maker.

A Luthiers Life by a Luthiers Wife

1982
GALQ Vol.10#4 p.22               
Bonnie Robiczek                                                                                           

▪ Robiczek’s husband Robert Meadow makes lutes, violins, and classical guitars; they also run a school teaching woodworking and instrument making.

Meet the Maker: Victor Gardener

1982
GALQ Vol.10#3 p.16   BRB2 p.158            
Frederick-C. Lyman-Jr.   Victor Gardener                                                                                       

▪ Gardener was an independent sort from Oregon who built closely in the style of the violins of the classic period in Italy. Mentions Hans Weishaar. With 2 photos.

William Foden

1981
GALQ Vol.9#4 p.26               
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Guitarist William Foden could compare in technique with any artist of any era.

Factory Life

1981
GALQ Vol.9#1 p.8   LT p.106            
John Judge                                                                                           

▪ This depiction of life in the Guild guitar factory in the ’60s may open some eyes.

An Interview with Guitarist Roger McGuinn

1981
GALQ Vol.9#3 p.26               read this article
Rachael Brent   Roger McGuinn                                                                                       

▪ Anyone that has ever seen Roger perform knows that unlike many other musicians, he will never disappoint an audience.

De Grassi and Dawgs: Our Hates and Loves

1981
GALQ Vol.9#3 p.32               read this article
David-B. Sheppard                                                                                           

▪ Brief interviews with some of the top notch performers at the 1980 GAL convention: David Grisman, Mike Marshall, Mark O’Conner, and Alex DeGrassi.

A Friendly Interview with Donald Warnock

1980
GALQ Vol.8#2 p.16               read this article
David-B. Sheppard   Donald Warnock                                                                                       

▪ Instrument maker Donald Warnock was a major figure in the early-music revival of the 1960s and ’70s.

An Interview with Guitarist David Tanenbaum

1980
GALQ Vol.8#4 p.14               read this article
David Fisher   David Tanenbaum                                                                                       

▪ 24 year old virtuoso David Tanenbaum of Oakland, CA is already a veteran of New York solo recitals and concerts and tours with the Jeffrey ballet.

Gruhn Battles T.A.S.

1980
GALQ Vol.8#4 p.22               
George Gruhn                                                                                           

▪ Luthiers, both repair craftsmen and builders, tend to exhibit ‘temperamental artist syndrome’.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1978
GALQ Vol.6#2 p.30   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

An Interview with Richard Schneider

1978
GALQ Vol.6#4 p.10               
Michael Keller   Richard Schneider                                                                                       

▪ A brief interview with the renowned luthier, maestro Richard Shneider, known for his development of the radically innovative Kasha Design soundboard guitar.

Meet the Maker: Robert Lundberg

1978
GALQ Vol.6#1 p.10   BRB2 p.78            
Kent Rayman   Aggie Rayman   Robert Lundberg                                                                                   

▪ Lundberg is a classic example of a man who couldn’t fit into any of the slots society tried to force him into, yet who went on to become an important individual in his field. Lute players of the world couldn’t be happier about it. With 4 photos.

This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s fifty best articles published before 2010.

An Interview with Jeffrey R. Elliott

1976
GALQ Vol.4#3 p.6               
Kent Rayman   Jeffrey-R. Elliott                                                                                       

▪ Elliott discusses his teacher Richard Schneider, opening his own shop in Michigan, and classical guitars.

Alexander Illitch Eppler

1976
GALQ Vol.4#1 p.8               
Kent Rayman   Alexander-I. Eppler                                                                                       

▪ Seattle-born Alexander Illitch Eppler is an established virtuoso, and a maker and player of balkan end-blown flutes.

Manuel Davila: Renaissance Man

1975
GALNL Vol.3#2 p.1   BRB2 p.61            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ Hutting happens across Manuel Davila in Guatemala City, who builds guitars that are completely original and do not follow tradition in construction and decoration.

Epitaph for a Luthier: Miguel Company

1975
GALNL Vol.3#5,6 p.25   BRB2 p.23            
H.E. Huttig                                                                                           

▪ A number of builders impacted the lutherie scene simply by keeping the craft alive during the dark days of the ’50s and early ’60s, even though they are all but forgotten today. Company fled Castro’s Cuba to Florida, where he made all manner of guitars and Latin instruments.